Plotting for an early retirement - anyone want to join me?

bugslet

Barnstar, I'm with you on the tiny homes. Though since I like dogs and gardens I end up with a house.

I've become fascinated by the many van conversions. On YouTube, look up Pam the van. She's been living in a van like the ones your local postie drives for three years. Too extreme, at least with a transit van you can fit a loo in!

crv1963

Hi love the pam the van videos! Not sure something that small would work for us, with two people and two dogs it could be a little tight! We too would want a loo and a shower.

bugslet

She's so sweet, and she runs a little jewellery business from her tardis, er van:D

Triumph13

I think we actually have enough books to build a tiny home out of them!

MallyGirl

Triumph13 wrote: »

I think we actually have enough books to build a tiny home out of them!

Us too - and they are all mine as DH doesn't read for pleasure

barnstar2077

bugslet wrote: »

She's so sweet, and she runs a little jewellery business from her tardis, er van:D

Just had a quick look at her channel and subscribed. As inspirational as she is, if I had a daughter I would not be happy with her doing this! I don't think I would be able to sleep at night from the worry of what might happen to her!

bugslet

barnstar2077 wrote: »

Just had a quick look at her channel and subscribed. As inspirational as she is, if I had a daughter I would not be happy with her doing this! I don't think I would be able to sleep at night from the worry of what might happen to her!

I'd hope that if you have a daughter she would follow her own star;)


Back in the mid 80s when I was in my early 20s and before the advent of satnav and mobilephones, I used to take vans and small trucks over to mostly Germany and Holland, with the occasional wander round France and the Benelux countries. I slept in the vehicle, usually on top of the load.

As long as you use your common sense, then you are as likely to come to grief as you are at home. IIRC, most attacks of a sexual nature are committed by someone known to the victim.

I enjoyed my time bimbling around out there and it was character building!:D

Anonymous101

I'm into my outdoor pursuits. Mountain biking, hiking, fishing, climbing etc. and in these cultures we often see people staying either camped up or in van's for long periods of time.

Since I've had a campervan (converted van) its made me reassess just how much stuff I have at home which is totally unrequired. We're in the process of decluttering at home now. Its amazing just how much stuff you can accumulate when you feel like you have space to fill. Lots of time and money wasted on buying stuff we don't need! :money:

bugslet

Anonymous101 wrote: »

I'm into my outdoor pursuits. Mountain biking, hiking, fishing, climbing etc. and in these cultures we often see people staying either camped up or in van's for long periods of time.

Since I've had a campervan (converted van) its made me reassess just how much stuff I have at home which is totally unrequired. We're in the process of decluttering at home now. Its amazing just how much stuff you can accumulate when you feel like you have space to fill. Lots of time and money wasted on buying stuff we don't need! :money:

I think minimalism or simply questioning the value of something is to you personally, is a natural bedfellow to early retirement. Less stuff means less expenditure, less upkeep.

I was out yesterday and people were extolling the virtues of a soupmaker. I have one of those, I just call it a pan:rotfl:

shinytop

I'm not quite at the camper van stage but we are de-cluttering in preparation for down-sizing (unfortunately not down-pricing). This will probably involve putting stuff into storage/renting for a while. It's frightening how much stuff we have accumulated, some of it quite recent too. Cupboards full of plates, mugs, glasses (there are only two of us now), cooking dishes, pots and pans, bread maker, food mixers. Hundreds of books, CDs and DVDs that never get opened, shelves to keep them on, etc. We have a big house and we've filled it up. I probably could have retired earlier if we hadn't bought all that stuff.

Of course we do also have a lot of really essential items we can't possibly get rid of such as a wide selection of hand and power tools, motorcycle parts, accessories and gear and various petrol-powered garden machinery but I'm sure we'll find a new home for these wherever we end up.